Automotive interior components are often produced in a variety of manufacturing sequences based on the assembly requirements set forth by a manufacturer, and are also produced to a variety of specifications based on the quality and fit expected by customers. In particular, customers expect the surfaces of the interior components of an automobile, such as the instrument panel, doors, center consoles, and other similar components, to have a soft feel. Customers also expect the coloration of the automobile interior components to be visually appealing, such as by having a two-toned appearance and similar visual effects.
The aforementioned automotive interior components typically include a hard substrate, an outer skin, and a polyurethane foam layer sandwiched therebetween. The hard substrate generally is molded to form the component, i.e. instrument panel, door, center console, etc. The outer skin is generally attached to the hard substrate to give the texture and appearance desired by customers, and the foam layer provides or enhances the softness of the component. Premium touch materials (e.g., soft-touch materials) may typically be added through corner sewing, edge wrap, trimming, or combinations thereof.
It may be desirable to provide a method of manufacturing an automotive interior component that eliminates the need for corner sewing, edge wrap, and/or trimming, while still being compatible with decorative sewing and still allowing features to be molded into a surface of the premium touch material in order to add an additional styling element.